First Drive: Lamborghini Aventador
Teamspeed's Karl Peskett travels to the Sepang F1 Circuit in Malaysia to test the new Italian supercar for us
Text by Karl Peskett - Teamspeed Contributing Editor
Photos by Jan Glovac - janglovac.com

David Cheng, a Daytona 24 hour race driver, jumps on the anchors and swings the car to the right. Downshifting, the exhaust bellows a massive “whump!” each time the left-hand paddle is flicked. Now he hurls it left. The power is fed in and I’m wondering how this sort of speed through a bend is possible.

“It’s a point and shoot weapon,” he shouts across the metal cacophony. “Make sure you always look where you want to go, and the car will naturally follow. The last thing you want is target fixation in this car!”

Noted. His smooth steering inputs are allowing the car to naturally glide into and out of each corner. David clearly has experience behind the wheel, and we’re grateful we’re under his watchful eye.

Teamspeed has been invited to the first dynamic launch of the Lamborghini Aventador, held at the Sepang F1 Circuit in Malaysia, and it’s a hot and humid day out on the track. The sun is burning straight through the overcast cloud layer and heating the track to around 55 degrees and more in some places.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgMKmxzAm1k

David is showing me the lines for each corner and pointing out the braking areas before it’s my turn behind the wheel.

“You’ll be getting some serious speed up, so make sure you don’t make any twitchy movements mid-corner,” he says. “Just keep it nice and smooth.”

You can see why, too. Sepang seems nice and flat when you’re watching it live, or indeed playing it on a race simulator. But when you’re out there on the track, there are dips and crests which you just can’t see unless you’re behind the wheel. Any ragged corrections from steering, throttle or brake could unload a wheel and create enough inertia to cause a pretty serious moment out there.

Pulling into the pit area, I hop out and Aleks Altberg, a rally instructor from Dirt Fish Driving School and a Scirocco Championship race driver, takes me aside.

“It’s all about vision in this car,” he says. “Watch each corner carefully, and look ahead to your exits. We’ve put down cones to mark the entry, apex and exit, so it should be pretty easy.”

Other journalists begin their instruction, and it’s time to take a few minutes to look over the Aventador, which has been running non-stop this whole session.

In comparison to its predecessor, the Murcielago, the Aventador looks smaller, more modern and more aggressive. The two cars were there to contrast, and despite what we thought at the time, the Murcie now looks bloated and fat. There’s a sleekness to the Aventador’s design, despite the hard angles and sharp overall shape.

The Reventon and Siesto Elemento’s styling cues all play out well in the Aventador and in the white of our press cars, every crease, every line stand out and harmonise to create one powerful looking beast.

Thankfully, under the stepped clear engine cover, there’s sufficient motivation to back up the promising styling. A completely new V12, designed from the ground up just for this car, produces a whopping 700 horsepower, which is channeled through a new ISR (Independent Shifting Rods) transmission to all four wheels. Weighing just 79kg, which is significantly less than an equivalent dual-clutch transmission, the new gearbox delivers shifts which take just 50 milliseconds, and the feeling to match; more on that later.

Using a carbon-fibre monocoque for ultimate strength and safety, the Aventador weighs 1575 kg all up, which is quite impressive for something which is 4.8m long and over 2m wide.

Looking at a side profile, you start to see that within the wheelbase all the action happens. The engine is mounted behind the cabin, keeping weight distribution even. Using in-board suspension, the unsprung weight is reduced, which minimizes the vertical inertia of the wheels, giving even more grip.

Inside, the Aventador is swathed in beautifully soft leather with seats which are both supportive and comfortable, yet hold you in place in hard cornering. It’s easier to get in and out of than previous Lambos (Gallardo excepted) despite the scissor doors, however if you’re big (like, really big) the cabin will certainly feel a bit cosy. The seats only go back so far, so if you’re used to colossal leg-room, then this isn’t the car for you.

The centre console takes a little while to get used to with the myriad of buttons which are nestled into the metal panel, but the bottom half will be familiar to anyone who owns a current Audi. We can’t report on the stereo system, but you’ll understand if it wasn’t a priority – there was a 700hp V12 behind us making a beautiful sound.

The steering wheel is stitched in perforated leather and is ergonomically shaped; it feels wonderful in hand. Behind are two decently sized shift paddles which are fixed to the steering column (my personal preference) making for easy changes both up and down.

If there was a criticism, it would be that the pedal box is quite narrow – drivers with large sized shoes may find it a little cramped – and that the plastic for the door handles feels a little cheap. The use of metal for the door handles would have finished off the interior nicely. But when you’re powering down the main straight of the Sepang F1 circuit at 250km/h, those little details become decidedly insignificant.

It’s now my turn to drive on the track by myself. I lift the small red flap on the centre console, which exposes the start/stop button and press down firmly. There’s a tiny metallic whine which seems to go on for quite a while and then a huge, growly blip of the throttle. The Aventador has started, ladies and gentlemen – it’s not subtle, by any means, and your neighbours will know all about it. But then, they should be grateful that you grace them with its presence…

Pull on the right-hand paddle to engage first gear, and allow it to creep away slowly (with a tad of shunt), and we’re off. In our driver’s briefing, we were told that we must leave it in Strada, the first of three driving modes. Sport (which is firmer and harder) and Corsa (full race mode) must not be used, apparently. Tap, tap - straight into Corsa we go.

The loud pedal is called upon and instantly I’m pinned to my seat. Acceleration figures are quoted as 0-100km/h in just 2.9 seconds, and with my well calibrated seat-of-the-pants-ometer, I have little reason to doubt Lamborghini’s claims.

It pulls cleanly through the rev range in a quite linear fashion, though it does build steadily toward the redline. Some have said the sound isn’t dramatic enough. For mine, it’s perfect – an excellent blend of metallic symphony with enough noise to keep you involved. Sure, it doesn’t have the same dramatic, rip-the-air-in-half effect that the Murcie’s engine had (and for bystanders the Murcie was probably better) but in the cabin, where you’ll be spending most of your time, the Aventador’s V12 is just wonderful.

CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, Stephan Winkelmann, explained the why it’s not just pure noise.

“All aspects of all Lamborghinis follow a strict guideline of form follows function,” said Mr Winkelmann. “Everything on the Aventador follows functionality with no piece, no matter big or small, being unnecessary, superfluous or in-place for aesthetic purposes. The sound of the engine is in fact not a feature but a result of the two generational jump in technology.”

With that in mind, it’s time to change gear. Pull the paddle. Whack! Hey, that was my neck, thank you very much. Change up again at 8000rpm, and whack! Okay, this is just brutal. Again, 8000rpm and I’m wincing. Like clockwork, the huge jolt comes through loud and clear. In Corsa, the Aventador kicks you in the back like, say, a raging bull, perhaps?

We’re told it’s a “emotional gearchange”. I’m not quite so sure - the last time I checked, snapping vertebrae wasn’t an emotion. You do get used to it, though, and after several laps it doesn’t become an issue anymore, especially because it’s so effective at getting the power to the ground. Brutal, yes, but effective nonetheless.

Down the main straight the Aventador is given its head. 200km/h. 210. 220. 230. 240. 250. Yes, that quick. Brake. Don’t forget to brake.

We head through the first few turns of the circuit and immediately something else becomes apparent – the steering. It is just sublime. It’s alive and communicative to the point that you understand how each treadblock is reacting. Yet it’s never wearing or too raw. Mid corner yaw changes can be felt coming, especially if the corner dips or rises. Turn-in is sharp and effective and you can virtually throw the car into a bend, knowing it will bite.

Sliding the car through each turn is as simple as braking early and then turning the wheel. The Pirelli P-Zeros’ transition from grip to slip is progressive and predictable; the car never snaps or breaks away unrestrained. For the experienced driver, it’s a doddle.

Exiting a corner takes a bit more self-discipline, however. The Aventador needs to be facing the direction in which you want to shoot out. Its all-wheel-drive is not quite as rear-biased as the Gallardo and so you have to wait until you can feel that grip is at a premium before you launch into a full-throttle exit. Punch it mid-corner and you may end up spearing off the track. Its handling is so neutral, though, that you have to recalibrate your limits of how quick you’re entering the corner and how much speed you’re carrying mid-corner – the car’s limits are certainly higher than mine. Even downshifts mid-corner do nothing to upset the car. Brilliant.

The brakes are typical carbon-ceramics, as well – on or off. Nothing happens for the first part of the pedal travel and then suddenly you’re through the windscreen. Again, after a few laps, you settle into a rhythm and you soon realise that the stoppers actually do talk to you in that lower part of pedal movement, but importantly, they just keep grabbing and grabbing and grabbing. Fade? Yeah, right. No early ABS intervention, either. And that’s despite the ridiculous temperatures today.

Driven correctly, the Aventador is devastatingly fast, a proper track warrior, yet go back to Strada mode and it’s almost docile, riding like no super-sports car should. And that’s the appeal of the whole car.

The Aventador can be used to drive to the shops and back, yet can kill a Ferrari on a circuit. The cars we had were delivered to the track with zero kilometers, straight from the factory, yet were happy to be hammered for hours on end in searing heat, without rest, and with no problems or issues. After our session of “abuse” they still felt rock solid – all that had to be changed were the tyres.

Lamborghini should be very proud of the Aventador. It’s instantly recognizable as the flagship of the brand, yet there are no compromises to go with it. It’s safe, ridiculously quick, well built, has immense grip, sounds insane and retains that Lambo value of extreme, uncompromising Italian flair.

When asked whether Lamborghini ever looks to competitors to ensure it remains at the forefront of the market, Winkelmann is typically cool.

“We have no need to look elsewhere for insights,” he said. “We believe that our competitors look to us and at our technology and design for inspiration. In terms of the Aventador, there are no competitors in the market.”

Having experienced what it has to offer, we’re inclined to agree.






















Interior Image from Aventador Dynamic Launch - Sepang, Sept. 20

 

i approve of this bull

 

That's so awesome! Great read and photos.

 

This was really fun to send Karl over for this! Guys please feel free to share this article on your social media feeds, Google+, facebook, twitter, etc! Karl did such a great job here I want to get him as much exposure as possible!

Thanks so much in advance!!!!

 

Amazing review guys, much more enjoyable to read then the standard magazines take on the new Lambo.

 

this pic awesome!!!

 

Great write up. Very enjoyable to read. I'm a huge fan of this car after seeing one last week.

 

This might be the best review Teamspeed has done so far. Really a great read and the first that didn't make the car sound a little disappointing. Great job guys!!

 

* I'm terms of the Aventador, there is no competitors on the market *

Perfect say to end the article - great Job guys. The more I look at this car the more I fall in love with it.

 

Thanks for the great write-up and insights here!